Chroma Medicine and Nvelop Therapeutics Merge to Form nChroma Bio with $75 Million Financing
Chroma Medicine and Nvelop Therapeutics have announced their merger to form nChroma Bio, a new biotechnology company focused on advancing genetic medicines.
Alongside the merger, nChroma secured $75 million in financing led by Cormorant Asset Management, ARCH Venture Partners, Atlas Venture, and Newpath Partners, with participation from a broad syndicate of top-tier investors.
The funding will accelerate the development of the company’s lead program, CRMA-1001, and build a pipeline of next-generation therapies targeting hepatic and extrahepatic tissues.
The merger combines Chroma’s expertise in epigenetic editing with Nvelop’s next-generation, non-viral in vivo delivery technologies. Together, these capabilities aim to overcome challenges in genetic medicine, including dose-limiting toxicities and delivery inefficiencies. The newly formed company is positioned to expand the reach of genetic medicines to treat a broader range of diseases with precise and durable therapies.
CRMA-1001, nChroma’s lead program, is a liver-targeted epigenetic editor being developed as a potential functional cure for chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis D. Unlike traditional approaches, CRMA-1001 uses methylation to silence viral gene expression without cutting or editing DNA, reducing risks associated with DNA repair pathways and genomic rearrangements. Preclinical studies have demonstrated deep and durable silencing of viral biomarkers, supporting the potential for best-in-class functional cure rates.
Strategic Vision and Leadership
The company will be led by Jeff Walsh as Chief Executive Officer, with Jeff Marrazzo appointed Chairman of the Board. nChroma’s leadership team comprises experienced figures from both Chroma and Nvelop, including:
- Melissa Bonner, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer
- Noah Goodman, Chief Business Officer
- Padma Malyala, Senior Vice President, Technology Development
- Jenny Marlowe, Ph.D., Chief Development Officer
- Lisa McGrath, Chief People Officer
Catherine Stehman-Breen, M.D., Chroma’s former CEO, will serve as an advisor.
Jeff Walsh, CEO of nChroma Bio:
“This union represents a compelling opportunity to combine groundbreaking epigenetic editing and in vivo delivery technologies. With this merger and new capital, we aim to advance CRMA-1001 into clinical trials while building a robust pipeline to address significant unmet needs across multiple diseases.”
Funding and Next Steps
The $75 million financing, coupled with cash reserves from the merging companies, provides a multi-year runway. The funds will support:
- Advancing CRMA-1001 toward a clinical trial application in 2025, with patient dosing planned for 2026.
- Expanding the delivery platform, leveraging lipid nanoparticles for liver-targeted therapies and engineered virus-like particles for non-liver indications.
- Building a pipeline of epigenetic-based therapies for diverse tissue targets.
nChroma Bio integrates epigenetic editing and non-viral delivery technologies to develop precise and durable genetic medicines. The company’s lead program, CRMA-1001, aims to address chronic hepatitis B and D with a novel, non-cutting mechanism of gene silencing. Leveraging programmable delivery tools and a product engine, nChroma is advancing a pipeline of next-generation therapies with applications beyond the liver.
Topics: Startups & Deals
